tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post7601490081515468360..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: A Few Words on Steven Soderbergh’s Ploy for NaturalismAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-54162667116397711272012-08-09T10:04:45.618-04:002012-08-09T10:04:45.618-04:00Yeah I agree with you, this all depends on the mat...Yeah I agree with you, this all depends on the material. Certainly one way isn't right all of the time. I also don't think using non actors is vital for creating a naturalist film, but, in the case of Soderbergh, I definitely think it helps.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-62728733533698401652012-08-09T10:03:07.325-04:002012-08-09T10:03:07.325-04:00Thanks Sam! I highly recommend Soderbergh's fi...Thanks Sam! I highly recommend Soderbergh's films. Traffic is a masterpiece if there ever was one.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-43390634334035298192012-08-08T14:47:34.319-04:002012-08-08T14:47:34.319-04:00I think like with all film techniques, sometimes a...I think like with all film techniques, sometimes a non-actor fits the bill...and other times not so much. Also, while i found Gina decent in haywire(Which i personally found uneven) i wouldn't call it one of my favorite performances.<br /><br />And i would personally argue non-actors aren't essential to creating a naturalist films. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy imo had a very naturalistic tone, and i think everybody in that one was a actor. Same with Let the Right One in(I'm a huge Tomas Alfredson fan)dirtywithclasshttp://www.dirtywithclass.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-32728888142750294232012-07-30T09:03:22.081-04:002012-07-30T09:03:22.081-04:00I just thought I'd say, you dad's insight ...I just thought I'd say, you dad's insight into 'Shame' is quite brilliant, haha. Great piece too, although I can't contribute much to it as I've not seen much Soderbergh stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-38836892437339325882012-07-27T09:17:11.168-04:002012-07-27T09:17:11.168-04:00Nice man, I'm really glad to see that you unde...Nice man, I'm really glad to see that you understood what I meant here. If this is the style you go for, I'd to see some of your films. Have them online anywhere?<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-37918950761096377212012-07-26T23:05:04.146-04:002012-07-26T23:05:04.146-04:00Yes, yes, yes! This is something I try to achieve ...Yes, yes, yes! This is something I try to achieve in my films. Something natural, real, honest, raw. This always nagged my brain...why aren't acting performances written/executed how people in real life would act or speak? The accidental stammer, an odd twitch in voice or body language, a simple nervous tick, something! Though I don't believe Soderbergh achieved this (at least in what I saw in Haywire--Contagion was great), I am excited I found someone who agrees with me.Alexhttp://randomfilmbuff.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-50855816595116041072012-07-25T19:07:17.819-04:002012-07-25T19:07:17.819-04:00Wow, awesome insight here. Seems like you and I ar...Wow, awesome insight here. Seems like you and I are on exactly the same page. I've heard so many people rag on Horn's frowning in the film, but like you, I thought it was real.<br /><br />We definitely stand on the minority side of this argument, but I completely love what she did in that film.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-78214509331503978382012-07-25T18:01:14.225-04:002012-07-25T18:01:14.225-04:00Glad to find someone else who appreciates Cody Hor...Glad to find someone else who appreciates Cody Horn's acting in Magic Mike. I was very impressed by her naturalness, her natural range, from dour to radiant. She frowned for a lot of the movie, and we aren't used to seeing a love interest frown. But I liked it!<br /><br />And when she smiled, wow. A real smile. A real laugh. What a gift.<br /><br />I think audiences are more used to female characters who are compliant and who reflect rather than respond to their male character counterparts. <br /><br />Cody's character didn't do that. Heck, she was even reading a hardcover book in the scene you mention. <br /><br />I liked her character and I appreciated her portrayal. I hope other directors do not let the nay-sayers stop them from casting her again.MLuckyGoldhttp://moviemouthoff.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-65712257224723174402012-07-18T12:01:38.187-04:002012-07-18T12:01:38.187-04:00Thanks man! I completely agree that Soderbergh isn...Thanks man! I completely agree that Soderbergh isn't the ONLY director that practices the "one fore me, one for them" method, I definitely didn't mean to imply that. Only that, yes, he's arguably the most well-known practitioner of that kind of moviemaking.<br /><br />And you're right, I should've mentioned that, cost to gross profit, his "one for me" movies net far more money than his Hollywood productions.<br /><br />All excellent points on your part. Thanks so much for the kind words!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-83622284816843287092012-07-18T10:04:44.405-04:002012-07-18T10:04:44.405-04:00Great article. I love your passion for Soderbergh,...Great article. I love your passion for Soderbergh, it shines through your post! Too many writers are ashamed of their enthusiasm and passions, so they oppress it when you write. I like that you put it front and centre. <br /><br />One thing though; Soderbergh really isn't bucking the trend with the 'one for them, one for me' mentality, he's just the most famous and widely publicised version of it. But I'd say a huge amount of directors in Hollywood work in this way. You earn the studios enough money with a film or maybe two films, and then you are able to get them to finance a less risky movie -- and because of your track record, the stars will come and work for you for practically nothing. So everyone wins. <br /><br />In fact, the 'one for me' films often do the best financially; because they cost FAR LESS, yet they still have stars in them. The studios aren't silly in this respect.The Kid In The Front Rowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11284758898483746863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-78518622346968075122012-07-16T16:29:52.992-04:002012-07-16T16:29:52.992-04:00Totally agree. I ended up rewatching it that night...Totally agree. I ended up rewatching it that night. It's just so damn good. I completely love it. Forgot John Cho has a cameo in it. Harold!!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-56925168859468035722012-07-16T16:21:01.615-04:002012-07-16T16:21:01.615-04:00Really? I never knew that! That's such a creat...Really? I never knew that! That's such a creative idea and movements are indeed eerie, it just astonishes me how briliant and how insanely underrated that film is.s.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13987831438787776712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-67702970868964242682012-07-16T09:07:42.200-04:002012-07-16T09:07:42.200-04:00That's definitely what I'd like people to ...That's definitely what I'd like people to take away from this article the most: that no matter what your thoughts are on Soderbergh or his films, you gotta admit that the dude has balls. He does things differently, and he does it well. Can't wait to read your Auteurs piece on Soderbergh when it's finished.<br /><br />He surely is one of the best.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-54071092223532034012012-07-16T08:58:15.164-04:002012-07-16T08:58:15.164-04:00And I do too, definitely. I much more prefer that ...And I do too, definitely. I much more prefer that sort of traditional good acting than this naturalistic style. Or, let me be clearer: I adore traditional acting like that, and I appreciate the naturalistic acting style. It something I value in moderation but would in no way want to see in every single film. I guess I just wish people didn't think Soderbergh's naturalistic films were so bad because they're so real, you know?Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-19836546795323756422012-07-16T08:55:02.280-04:002012-07-16T08:55:02.280-04:00Hey, anyone who is able to appreciate a filmmaker ...Hey, anyone who is able to appreciate a filmmaker that knows what they're doing, while not actually loving what they are doing is all right with me. I completely get how some of Soderbergh's "me" films could turn people away, they are so very different. <br /><br />Dude, when I heard about GFE and especially Bubble, my first thought was, "Nope, not for me." Then I actually watched them and wow. Bubble in particular is just remarkable. Really blew me away.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-77357625684134689492012-07-15T19:24:28.472-04:002012-07-15T19:24:28.472-04:00Sorry for being late in the game about this articl...Sorry for being late in the game about this article but I agree with a lot of the things you said. I may have had mixed feelings towards Sasha Grey's performance in <i>The Girlfriend Experience</i> but it didn't deter from the film which I thought was pretty good.<br /><br />Soderbergh is a filmmaker I do love to watch as I hope to do an Auteurs piece on him soon. Not next year but hopefully 2014-2015. There's still a number of film of his I need to catch up on.<br /><br />What I like about him is the fact he's willing to take risks on unknowns or non-actors or even someone like Sasha Grey. There is a realism to it and sometimes, it would work but other times it wouldn't. Yet, I admire Soderbergh for having the balls to do that. That's why he's one of the best.thevoid99https://www.blogger.com/profile/03055459287396592446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-87923445751648570712012-07-15T01:35:11.989-04:002012-07-15T01:35:11.989-04:00Fascinating article. I agree with you, to a certai...Fascinating article. I agree with you, to a certain extent. The uneasy performances of Gina Carano et al. do bring a sort of naturalism, but I also feel there's an undeniable talent of good actors to become truly assimilated into the characters they portray. Yes, people stutter and stammer in real life, but I still prefer the more traditional ideal of "good acting", where the actor is confident and comfortable in the role they are playing.Shane Slaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04527212913193906828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-90787673722091173342012-07-14T23:46:11.497-04:002012-07-14T23:46:11.497-04:00Really loved this piece Alex. I'm not in love ...Really loved this piece Alex. I'm not in love with him like you are, but I dig his versatility (he reminds me of a more mainstream Winterbottom), and his skill. The man does what he wants and I gotta respect that.<br /><br />Truthfully, I like his Hollywood films more (Ocean's 11, Contagion, Out of Sight) over his "me" films (Solaris, Full Frontal), but I havent seen enough to fully back that claim. Magic Mike and Haywire look interesting to me (for different reasons) but Bubble and Girlfriend Experience do not. (That's not to say I won't catch them some day.)<br /><br />But like I said, I respect him a lot and even more now after reading your piece.<br /><br />Long live filmmakers like him and Winterbottom, for never doing the same thing twice.Davehttp://theflickersblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-4223961851051263332012-07-14T13:20:25.704-04:002012-07-14T13:20:25.704-04:00Thanks man! I think Sex Lies is in a completely di...Thanks man! I think Sex Lies is in a completely different category, maybe the "Trying To Start My Career by Doing Something Totally Different" category. But yeah, that movie has such a natural vibe to it. Glad you enjoyed the piece!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-31319485702815980512012-07-14T13:19:06.310-04:002012-07-14T13:19:06.310-04:00You know, I've always wondered that too. I thi...You know, I've always wondered that too. I think a lot of it is them getting an idea, then passing it off to a screenwriter so they can prep for other stuff. I definitely think both Soderbergh and Scorsese are heavily involved in the development of the scripts they shoot (I doubt they are picking scripts from The Black List, for example), but in terms of Soderbergh, while the writer is writing, Soderbergh can decide how he's going to shoot the movie and how he's going to edit it. I definitely think they help write their scripts, but I don't think they're worried about getting credit for them.<br /><br />Either way, very interesting point.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-29673974353146171872012-07-14T13:16:03.580-04:002012-07-14T13:16:03.580-04:00Thanks Stephanie! My pops is an insightful guy, fo...Thanks Stephanie! My pops is an insightful guy, for sure! And in terms of Soderbergh, I highly recommend all the flicks I mentioned. I don't know if you've seen Traffic, but I consider that the best film of the 2000s. Just a remarkable piece of cinema. Really got him started on his naturalism.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-76249967770845020262012-07-14T12:33:03.421-04:002012-07-14T12:33:03.421-04:00Fascinating article Alex !! I have seen enough Sod...Fascinating article Alex !! I have seen enough Soderbergh to atleast understand what you are saying here (though I am not sure, I think we can include Sex, Lies and Videotapes in his 'one for me' list). Could not agree more on what you say about escapism, our dad really summed it up nicely.SDGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09331736603243732602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-2918682590228603582012-07-14T09:49:02.142-04:002012-07-14T09:49:02.142-04:00Obviously his primary strengths are mostly detaile...Obviously his primary strengths are mostly detailed in this article, plus his visual flair and such, but I'm always curious about a director like Soderbergh who obviously *can* write films but chooses not to. Same with Scorsese. Not that there's anything in the slightest to complain about with the scripts those dudes use, because it goes without saying that that's some amazing shit on a pretty regular basis. Still, I guess this helps enable his incredible work-rate.<br /><br />(Tangential in relation to the article, I know)Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10963537284814153368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-32799275520678188302012-07-13T22:49:17.851-04:002012-07-13T22:49:17.851-04:00I haven't seen any of the "one for me&quo...I haven't seen any of the "one for me" films you mentioned, but I was fascinated by your article. I suspect you hit the nail on the head. We don't want to see ourselves, through the lens of cinema, as we really are with our awkwardness and dull conversations. I loved your dad's insights about Shame. Like him, I didn't really enjoy the movie, but I appreciated the hell out of it. And yes, we all have parts of ourselves that we hide. And nothing makes us more uncomfortable than something that reflects our guilt.Stephaniehttp://eclecticbooksandmovies.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-35747479951335573102012-07-13T19:59:08.687-04:002012-07-13T19:59:08.687-04:00Oh man, Wind that Shakes the Barley is a perfect e...Oh man, Wind that Shakes the Barley is a perfect example of cinematic naturalism. Good call there. You've got a new visitor to your site, my friend!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.com